Ovecharged for a new boiler

Aylesbury_Duck

tgk1 said:

Thank you everyone for your advice/input.  I think it is interesting that nobody has mentioned that there is help from consumer groups that can help if you find yourself in this situation or a similar one.

Citizens Advice Bureau.

Consumer Rights Act 2015

Misleading Action

Digital Market and Consumer Act 2024

These can all help you as can Organisations like Which.  So please consult these for advice.

 The forum has never pretended to be a source of definitive advice on consumer rights, but it is a good place to get people's opinions and advice on what questions to ask, what legislation may be pertinent, etc.  Such is the output of a free resource.

eskbanker

tgk1 said:

Thank you everyone for your advice/input.  I think it is interesting that nobody has mentioned that there is help from consumer groups that can help if you find yourself in this situation or a similar one.

Citizens Advice Bureau.

Consumer Rights Act 2015

Misleading Action

Digital Market and Consumer Act 2024

These can all help you as can Organisations like Which.  So please consult these for advice.

You said that you'd already dealt with CAB so there was no point in anyone telling you what you already said you knew!

Your next three lines aren't consumer groups but are simply the titles of two actual pieces of legislation, the relevance of which would obviously be known by the legal advisor you mentioned you'd engaged, plus a term which may fall within the scope of another Act.

I believe that Which? offers access to (paid) legal guidance, is it them you're using?

Grumpy_chap

tgk1 said:

Thank you everyone for your advice/input.  I think it is interesting that nobody has mentioned that there is help from consumer groups that can help if you find yourself in this situation or a similar one.

Citizens Advice Bureau.

Consumer Rights Act 2015

Misleading Action

Digital Market and Consumer Act 2024

These can all help you as can Organisations like Which.  So please consult these for advice.

That is a bit of an odd post.
If you already know where to get advice better than this forum can offer, why would you come to the forum to ask for guidance?

tgk1 said:

I would appreciate any guidance that can be offered. 

saajan_12

tgk1 said:

I am obviously looking at this from a different perspective from some other people.  

First the boiler: I would normally do all of my research.  I didn't.  This operative was highly recommended by a very good friend.  So I trusted them.  Forget everything else around this and I will ask the same question again.  If he was prepared to give me £1000 off what was his mark up?

I imagine the £600 was just them not paying full taxes rather than mark up, but that's a side issue. The point is, lets say the mark up was £2000.. that's still OKAY. Traders can charge high prices, that's not illegal. Its up to you to accept, negotiate or decline. 

tgk1 said:

I had the plumber messaging me and trying to call me.  All they had to do was email.  He knows my personal situation.  Then he turned up at my house at night and was ringing my door bell. Knocking on the door and rattling the letter box for around 15 minutes.  The doorbell footage will confirm that.

From their perspective, they have done work which hasn't been paid for, so they can reach out to collect payment without being limited to email only. Visiting the house once isn't inherently a problem. If they are aggressive or visit repeatedly, then that's a matter for police. It doesn't affect the amounts due. 

tgk1 said:

Thank you for your input everyone  I will see what my legal advisor reommends on Friday.  Thank you

That's your choice, I personally wouldn't throw more money at a losing defense, which is generally not recoverable in small claims, after having already paid an expensive trader. 

tgk1

Thanks for your advice.  I am now the proud owner of a camera and that and my smart doorbell are being intalled today. Police mentioned it when they called me.

I understand people wanting to recover money.  But they should do the job properly before doing that.

They should also comply with legislation.They are just employing bully boy tactics.  

As for the price of the boiler I see this from a different perspective.  I know people who have paid this person cash. They may even have been offered an escort to the bank as I was. 

What they didn't know was that the price quoted was greatly over inflated in order for the discount to be offered. Also no option to pay monthly as then the correct price would need to be stated. 

Some pensioners have savings some do not. But they are being misled. Conned and that is my main point.

They could go somewhere else. Pay less. Get a monthly plan and not dip into what sometimes are meagre savings.

If this is what they are doing it is against the law. 

It could be your elderly relative. Tour Mum or Dad.  And so far that is what I have found. 

Elderly people thinking they are getting a bargain from what is essentially a conman. 

Again Police Scotland recommended trading standards. They are interested in this. They have been in touch . I am emailing them everything this weekend.

Even when they sent me the itemised bill for the shower they overquoted the retail shower price by around £100. 

I m not against people making profits.  But this goes beyond that. 

Thank you again for all your help and pointers.  

eskbanker

tgk1 said:

They should also comply with legislation.They are just employing bully boy tactics.  

As for the price of the boiler I see this from a different perspective.  I know people who have paid this person cash. They may even have been offered an escort to the bank as I was. 

What they didn't know was that the price quoted was greatly over inflated in order for the discount to be offered. Also no option to pay monthly as then the correct price would need to be stated. 

Some pensioners have savings some do not. But they are being misled. Conned and that is my main point.

They could go somewhere else. Pay less. Get a monthly plan and not dip into what sometimes are meagre savings.

If this is what they are doing it is against the law. 

What specifically do you contend to be unlawful here, and which legislation do you believe is being contravened?

There is nothing inherently unlawful about charging high prices.

There is no legal requirement to offer monthly payment plans.

There is nothing requiring businesses to accept specific payment types.

There are regulations prohibiting differential pricing for different payment methods, but that seems something of a technicality in the context of the tone of your grievances?

Okell

I'm confused as to whether this is about a new boiler or a new shower.

I'm also confused as I thought Trading Standards had advise the OP to pay for the shower and not dispute it?

tgk1 said:

... They then demanded payment.  I refused as the job was not completed.  I have since taken advice from Cab Scotland and was advised that I should offer to pay for the shower...

Aylesbury_Duck

The whole thing is confusing.  I only hope that OP is being much clearer in person with CAB/Trading Standards/Which/the Police than he has here, and that he gets the outcome he's after.

born_again

Do not know why police are involved in this. As there has been no underhand dealing from what we have been told.

OP contacted the company to install boiler after a recommendation, so not like a cold call & being fleeced that way.

Not sure what help a video doorbell is going to be & who is fitting it? Hope they got at least 3 quotes  🤷‍♀️

Seems to be a lot of wasted 3rd party time, all due to no due diligence in the 1st place 🤷‍♀️

elsien

Paying in cash does not make it unlawful. Perfectly legitimate way to pay for things. Can Be a sign of tax avoidance but it doesn’t automatically mean that is the case